Time for some sightseeing.

The nun that was assigned to act as our guide by the Saint decided to first show us the big attractions in the city. We were accompanied by Edita Sensei, Drill-chan, and the Kimoronge.

We are currently walking through the streets in front of a large chapel with a grand plaza in front of it.

“Fu~n? That’s quite the grand building, isn’t it?”

“There are plenty of churches in the Penny Empire, but this is the main temple so, naturally, it is far grander in scale than what you may be used to. I could spend all day just looking at it.”

It was one of the many churches and chapels that fill the Great Holy Land, but this one was of a much larger scale.

It stood imposingly on a raised platform. Its defining characteristics were its sharp angles and typical gothic architecture. It was of similar design to the Milan cathedral. I wouldn’t doubt there’s a dungeon beneath the main church that’s used to house heretics and those accused of witchcraft. I wonder if rape is a form of punishment used by this religion.

The building itself is quite large and if you include the garden in front of the cathedral, it’s easily equal in size to the Tokyo Dome.

It was clearly a building of some importance and the bustling crowd that filled the plaza was a clear indication of this. There were plenty of women wearing a similar outfit that the nun guiding us was wearing. I’d assume they’re also members of the church. The outfits worn by the nuns here aren’t that different from the one’s I’m familiar with.

“This is the grand cathedral of the Great Holy Land.”

As we approached the front of the building, the nun began explaining the history of the building like a proper tour guide. Occasionally, she’d bend forward and show off her excessive cleavage with her skirt lifting as well to show off her thighs and ass. This is the type of sightseeing I enjoy. Maybe she’s not wearing any panties either.

“It truly is the best in the Great Holy Land. It’s a beautiful sight.”

“Ara? I wonder if a foreigner is capable of understanding the greatness of our cathedral.”

“I may be a foreigner, but I was born to a similar culture.”

“Fu~n?”

Honestly, I’m purely going off of the visuals. The churches here all look similar with the only difference being in scale. I have no clue what the differences are between the many that I’ve seen. I’m mainly just interested in what’s beneath the nun’s skirt.

“Is something wrong?”

“Not really. I just don’t like it I guess.”

“…what do you mean?”

“Have you already forgotten your place?”

“….”

A spark lit up in Drill-chan’s eyes as she stared back at me. There was clear defiance in them and she spoke as she speaks to the Kimoronge when she gives commands. I had a strange feeling that she was about to start ordering me to do something shameful. Her piercing eyes made me feel uncomfortable and I felt a shiver run down my spine.

“W-What does she mean!?”

Edita Sensei started panicking when she saw Drill-chan’s reaction.

She must think that Drill-chan and I have some kind of relationship. If she wasn’t here with us, I would have been prepared to get down on all fours and crawl through the streets. With Sesei here, I just can’t do it. I’m not at Sophia-chan’s level, but I can feel my armpits starting to sweat.

“Is there something I need to correct?”

“I wonder….”

She stopped walking and brought her hand to her chin.

I should think about this clearly.

Sensei doesn’t have a hymen.

Drill-chan does have a hymen.

The choice is obvious, isn’t it?

Yes, that’s right. My body may be lacking in many ways, but it always knows where and when it stands to gain the most. The choice between a virgin and a non-virgin is obvious. Besides, Drill-chan and I have spent a lot of time together, and there’s an actual chance that we might end up together.

Besides, if I’m forced to do some shame play in public, the amazing hospitality provided by the Great Holy Land might force them to accommodate what they perceive to be my fetish. It doesn’t matter who it is, as long as it’s a beautiful virgin reverse raping me.

“You bring up a good point. It’s often hard for one to identify their own shortcomings.”

“What?”

“If you ever see me doing something inappropriate, feel free to correct me, Doris-san.”

Don’t hold anything back.

But I was surprised by the restrained reaction my beloved virgin loli offered me.

“…w-what are you saying? What’s with this change in attitude?”

“I’m not quite sure what you mean. I’m acting the same as always.”

“….”

This is the first time I’ve seen her back down when given a chance to act dominant.

I expected her to order me to crawl on all fours.

She’d have a new horse to use that costs nothing.

“Hmph! W-Well, whatever!”

“….”

It’s surprising that when I lean into the master slave relationship, Drill-chan seems to pull back a little. It’s kind of nice in its own way. I had to recompose myself as I tried to forget about the disappointment while also feeling somewhat relieved. It was as if I was unintentionally edging. I want to build this feeling for as long as possible before letting it out all at once.

This might be the best sightseeing tour I’ve ever been a part of.

It was as I was enjoying myself to the fullest that I heard it,

『Oi, h-how did you lose her!?』

“I didn’t lose her.”

『Gururururu, where the hell did she get off to!?』

“…maybe we should try to widen our search area.”

『First it’s the damn elf and now the human….』

Two people that I recognize were currently arguing in front of the church. The two were standing only a few meters apart as they argued and everyone walking by was giving them strange looks. However, they didn’t seem to notice.

“O-Oi, those two….”

Edita Sensei seems to have noticed them as well.

“That’s the mayor and Rocoroco-san, right?”

Goggoru-chan was wearing a full-length robe that she most likely chose to hide her distinctive goggoru appearance. Her hair was completely covered by the hood that hung down to her eyes. The other one was dressed as she always is. Even without the recognizable dress, it’s impossible to mistake her pitchblack hair and distinct eyes.

What are those two doing here?

No, it makes sense. Sensei isn’t supposed to be here either. I left all of them back in the Penny Empire. Did Sensei end up falling off of the loligon’s back or did the loligon purposefully drop her? Whatever the case, the three of them are obviously connected.

I can’t just ignore them now that I’ve seen them.

I excused myself from Edita Sensei, Drill-chan, and the tour guide nun before walking over to them.

They finally noticed me as I got close to them.

『Eh!?』

“Aah….”

The loligon took a defensive stance while Goggoru-chan silently stared at me with her mouth agape.

Two distinct reactions.

“What a coincidence running into you two. What brings you here?”

『Wha– gu…this is, u-umm….』

The loligon had a typically cute reaction as she stumbled over her words.

It’s obvious that she’s feeling guilty about something.

I never forced her to work in Dragon City and I never expected her to stay there at all times. She’s always done whatever she wants whenever she wants to, so I’m not mad that she’s left Dragon City without first informing me.

Even so, the way she so quickly averts her eyes when I look at her intrigues me.

She’s always maintained a defiant look in her eyes no matter what situation she’s in. It’s a rare sight to see her like this. Maybe she came here to yell at me for breaking our promise.

“Are you here because I broke our promise?”

『Gu….』

The loligon was still acting meek even after I got straight to the point.

This isn’t the normal arrogant dragon I know.

It was actually Goggoru-chan that gave me my answer.

“The Elf and maid are missing.”

“Eh?”

A straightforward answer, but one that is very important.

“But the Elf was actually with you.”

Goggoru-chan’s eyes slowly moved past me and rested on Edita Sensei’s figure not far behind me.

Goggoru-chan’s words were quickly followed by a deafening roar from the loligon.

『Y-You! What are you doing here!?』

Sensei’s shoulders trembled as she tried to respond.

“N-Nothing in particular. I was just sightseeing with h-h-him….”

『Sightseeing!? We were looking for you! I-I’ve been looking….』

I was starting to understand why the loligon was acting so strange.

It’s all connected to Edita Sensei’s fall from the sky.

None of that matters. We shouldn’t be talking about this out in public where we can draw unwanted attention. We are from another country and doing or saying the wrong thing could offend someone from this unknown culture.

“I’m sorry, is there some place nearby where we could sit down and talk?”

“Eh? Ah, y-yes! I’ll take you there!”

The nun was still standing nearby but seemed to not be paying attention.

However, as soon as I called out to her, she snapped back to herself and smiled as she guided us down the road.

The tour guide nun took us to a restaurant that’s primary clientele are the nobility and high-ranking members of the church.

One of the private rooms was perfect for us to sit down and talk. It was just large enough that Goggoru-chan could keep a safe distance from those that wanted to stay out of her ability range. We all ordered drinks and some snacks before taking our seats around the table.

Drill-chan, Edita Sensei, and I all sat on one side of the table while the loligon sat alone on the other side. Goggoru-chan took her normal spot in the far corner of the room. I felt bad, but I asked the nun to leave us alone.

“I see.Sophia-san has been missing since last night….”

『D-Do you have something to say!? Are you trying to blame me!? Hah!?』

The loligon immediately got defensive.

She followed after Drill-chan and myself when we left the capital. She managed to lose Edita Sensei on the way here and then lost Sophia-chan after the three of them arrived in the Great Holy land. As expected of the loligon.

Sensei has the ability to use flight magic of her own, but she must have been hit by the anti-magic barrier when she was knocked off of the loligon and didn’t have enough time to activate it. She must have just been able to conjure up enough strength to slow her fall.

“….”

I actually don’t blame the loligon for once.

I’m sure she’s already been beating herself up about it.

Besides, I was the one that broke my promise to go visit the tower with her. I didn’t think it was that important to her, but if she came all the way here to find me, it must be a promise that she cherished. I felt bad but was also happy that she cared so much.

I love the loligon. She was the first girl that was actually looking forward to going out with me. If this is how true love starts, I’d propose to her regardless of whether or not she has a hymen. I love you and I’m sorry.

The lolibitch may have claimed to have loved me and acted excited when around me, but that was completely out of character for her and it never felt real. None of what she did was what a virgin like me has come to expect from a beautiful girl. Her entire personality felt like it was taken straight out of an anime.

『O-Oi! Are you just going to stare at me!? Say something! Hah!』

“Sorry. This is all my fault.”

『…oi, you can’t just apologize like that. It’s unfair.』

It’s times like this when I realize that the loligon isn’t a young girl despite her appearance. She’s not really human and the way she speaks adds to her childlike appearance. She’s an ancient dragon and with that age comes wisdom. She might be more thoughtful than humans, but is incapable of properly expressing herself due to her inexperience with humans and our language.

“True. You’re absolutely right, Christina-san.”

『….』

“We can talk about this more later.”

I’ll offer her a sincere apology later.

I’m feeling an irresistible urge to lick her dirtiest scales.

“For now, it’s more important to focus on finding Sophia-san.”

If it was the loligon or Goggoru-chan got lost, I wouldn’t be worried about them. However, Sophia-chan is a different story. Maybe I have no need to be worried. I’ve seen her stats and that girl has a ridiculously high LUC stat.

That could just be wishful thinking though.

No matter what her stats are, she’s still lost.

I need to take this seriously and conduct a proper search.

What if she gets lured in by some bad intentioned man and loses her virginity to him? Ah, that would be a disaster. My formerly virgin maid would stay by my side every day and look after me. I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it and each day my mind would break bit by bit. I doubt I’d last even half a year.

“W-Where did you last see her?”

Edita Sensei asked the obvious question.

I’m sure she’s worried about Sophia-chan.

Sensei is such a kind person.

『…back at the inn.』

“The inn? What do you mean?”

“She was supposed to be sleeping in our room, but when we got back she was gone.”

Goggoru-chan provided further details.

I see, but I don’t understand.

“Sorry, could you tell us more…?”

『W-We made sure she was asleep before we left! I looked right at her! When we came back after dawn, she wasn’t in her bed anymore! I thought maybe she went to get food, so I waited in the room for a while, but she never returned! I-It really wasn’t my fault! 』

“I see.”

I’m understanding less and less as they explain it further.

“When did this happen?”

『This morning!』

It’s hard to even guess as to what happened.

Based on what I’ve been told, Sophia-chan left the inn on her own. I can’t imagine there’s anyone in the Great Holy Land that would target her specifically. Maybe she was actually in the restroom after getting an upset stomach from eating the exotic food of the Great Holy Land.

“Should we start by checking back at the inn where you were staying?”

I suggested we start the search in the last place anyone saw her.

While wandering through the endless halls of this strange mansion, I stumbled upon a strange sight.

There were countless closed doors lining the halls, but I came across one that was slightly ajar. Peeking inside, I saw that there were several naked men and women lying on the floor, bed, and whatever other furniture was inside. The women all looked like they were nuns or other servants. The men all had the look of upper-class nobles or rich merchants.

“….”

Is this what I think it is? Something that I’ve only heard rumours about but never seen firsthand. It’s a special form of entertainment that the church offers to the upper class.

Mysterious juices were covering the floors and walls and the room looked like a tornado had just ripped through it. A young maiden like myself couldn’t help but be intrigued. What could these people do that would leave this room in such a state?

“….”

However, after I took a closer look at the men, I noticed they all seemed to be middle-aged and on the plumper side. I immediately lost any interest in them. The nuns were all attractive women, but I got no pleasure out of seeing them naked.

I thought whatever events had happened in the room didn’t concern me and I began to turn away when I noticed something else.

My attention was caught by a massive pile of white power sitting on a table in the middle of the room.

“….”

It was clear that this white powder is used for nefarious purposes.

I’d imagine everything in this room has a nefarious purpose or it’s been used in a way it was never meant to be used.

The first thought that came to my mind was the dinner party Misa-chan hosted.

The drug that makes you feel incredible pleasure.

“….”

Everyone in the room was passed out. They all looked like they were having the most pleasant dreams. Even if I were to enter the room and announce myself, nobody would notice me.

That’s right.

The pile of powder is so big that they would never notice if a little went missing.

“…pardon my intrusion.”

I’m just being honest with myself.

That light, pleasant feeling I had when I was under the influence of that drug was like nothing I’d ever experienced before.

I didn’t even notice that I had started grabbing handfuls of the powder and loading into a small leather bag that was also on the table. If I take all of the powder, it will be obvious. I restrained myself and only filled the bag about two-thirds full.

“…fufu.”

Why do I feel like this?

I haven’t even ingested any of the power, but I can already feel my lower body tingling.

This stuff is dangerous.

I think now is the time I make my escape from this mansion.

I’ll take the time to fully enjoy the powder’s effects once I return to the inn.

No, I’m doing this for research purposes. I’m just curious about the effects. That’s all.

End of Chapter 3

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The post Atelier Tanaka – Volume 7 Chapter 3 Part 8 appeared first on Rhex's Translations.

Why did I think this was a good idea when I’ve never been to this city before?

I’m completely lost.

“….”

I left the inn around midnight and had been wandering around town ever since then. I was doing whatever I could on my own to find the Elf-san. I asked every person I passed if they had seen someone matching her description, but I had found nothing yet. Before I knew it, I realized I was walking down an unfamiliar street with no clue how to get back to the inn. The dawn is just beginning to break.

It’s my fault for not even learning the name of the inn I’m staying at.

I have no clue where I am.

I keep walking down the street in the hopes I’ll recognize something, but there’s nothing here.

“…what am I going to do? I’m starting to get sleepy.”

I’m currently walking through a neighborhood that bears no resemblance to the downtown area we were originally staying at. The splendor of the buildings was gradually increasing with each step I took. Doubt began creeping into my mind, not for the first time today, and I wanted to turn back.

As I was considering this, I could hear the sound of a horse-drawn carriage approaching me from behind.

There are a number of carriages traveling the roads of this neighborhood. I quickly jumped out of the way and bowed as the carriage passed me. This may not be the Penny Empire, but I’m still a commoner. It’s more important than ever for me not to stand out.

The carriage turned off of the main road and entered into a courtyard through a grand gateway. As the gate opened and closed, I caught a glimpse of a vast, well-kept garden with a large mansion that sat within.

The mansion was huge. Even after the gate closed, I could still see the top floors towering over the tall hedges that lined the gate that surrounded the estate. The roof came to a peak and it was the most distinctive feature.

“….”

I would love to live in a place like that without a need to worry about anything.

Just the sight of such a majestic manor would make anyone wish for it.

I didn’t even notice my body moving on its own as I approached the gate. I had been walking around town all night and both my mind and body were completely exhausted. I felt like my mind was a little hazy and I couldn’t think straight. This was probably why I was walking straight up to the gate of the mansion as if I was being summoned there by the house.

“….”

I wonder what the Dragon-san and Goggoru-san are up to? I’m sorry for causing you two trouble. I wanted to help, but now I feel like I’ve become a complete burden. I need to at least find Tanaka-san or I don’t think I’ll be able to face those two.

But I’m so tired and I can’t even think straight. I want to take a nice hot bath and go to sleep on a soft bed. If that’s all I wanted, I should’ve never asked to go to Kalis. Dragon City has all of that.

“…Tanaka-san, where are you?”

I placed my head against the bars and looked out over the grounds in dismay. The same headache you get after pulling an all-nighter was all I could think about. I don’t think I can take another step. I looked up at the windows of the mansion through the gate and fantasized about the rooms that lie within.

“….”

I want to take a bath.

I want to sleep in a bed.

I want to give up.

Just as I was about to allow myself to collapse, a voice called out to me from behind.

“There’s no time for you to slack off! Get back to work!”

“…eh?”

I turned around and spotted a woman wearing a maid’s outfit.

She looked to be in her mid-thirties and had shoulder length brown hair. The calluses on her hands suggested she had been a maid for a long time and I could see several fresh cuts on them.

She’s carrying a large bag in both of her hands. Maybe she’s heading home for the day.

“Don’t just look at me with that dumb face! Get a move on already!”

“M-Me?”

“Who else could I be talking to?”

“…ah.”

I am still wearing my maid outfit.

I’m sure there’s been a misunderstanding based on this.

There’s no other reason.

“Are you listening!? Get back to work or….”

As the unknown maid took a step closer to me, she stopped and her expression changed to openly show disgust.

“…you really stink. Make sure you clean yourself before you return to work. Okay?”

“….”

I can’t even argue with what she’s saying. I’ve been wearing this same outfit ever since the dinner party with Misa. I haven’t even changed my underwear. Even though I consider it gross, it’s still surprising to be told straight to my face that I stink.

“Umm, I-I…..”

“Don’t talk back to me! You’re paid to do a job!”

“Ah, wait….”

The gate opened and I received a shove in the back as I was motioned toward a doorway leading to a kitchen.

I had no time to explain myself.

I was taken inside the mansion without saying a word.

***

I was led to a room within the mansion and every attempt I made to explain myself was ignored.

The same maid I had met in the street assigned me to clean this room before the Master returned.

The only good thing that came of this was I had a chance to wipe my body off. I also changed into a new maid uniform provided to me. I was finally able to change out of the maid uniform from Kalis. My entire being was feeling refreshed.

The maid uniforms of this city are plain in design and color compared to the uniform of the school dormitory. It almost resembled a nun’s outfit if not for the incredibly short skirt. I have my doubts that it will cover much of anything.

It’s still cute though, so I don’t mind.

“….”

Despite me being dressed and ready to work, I’ve still been up all night.

It’s impossible for me to do my job properly in my current state. I wonder who the master of this place is. Seeing the extravagantly decorated room couldn’t help but make me wonder. The school dorm rooms and the airship were all lavishly decorated, but this is on another level.

As I was exploring the room, I spotted an interesting painting.

The frame looked expensive while the painting itself was of four people that I didn’t recognize. The scene in the background was of a castle that I also didn’t recognize.

They were all smiling or laughing and seemed very close with each other. There was one man with three women. I wonder if it’s a harem.

“…hmm?”

As I looked closer at their faces, a strange sensation came over me.

One of the women seemed strangely familiar. She was the only woman standing somewhat off on her own. She was wearing a robe with a hood pulled up to cover most of her features. However, I could still see her mouth and this reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on who.

“I’ve seen her somewhere before….”

Where do I know her from?

I feel like I’ve seen them recently too.

“Well, these things happen.”

It’s not uncommon for your mind to convince you that two different people are the same based on a few similarities in their faces.

Considering this painting is being displayed in such a grand manor, there’s no chance that one of the people in the painting would be my acquaintance. There was still a lingering doubt in my mind, but the lack of sleep made me give up on it quickly.

In fact, even if I wasn’t tired, I’ve never been the type to stop and properly appreciate a painting. My sleepy mind couldn’t help but wander for a few moments before finding its target. A large bed against the opposite wall.

“….”

Even the bed is luxurious. Its canopy is made from a silk material.

I’m sure it’s incredibly comfortable, but it would be divine given how tired I am.

The sheets were still pulled tight across the mattress after the maids had made the bed this morning.

“…aah.”

I can’t resist.

The pull is just too strong.

My feet started to move on their own.

“…aaah.”

I collapsed onto the bed and was enveloped by the mattress.

The crispness of the flattened sheets followed by the soft springiness of the mattress was ecstasy. I just want to fall asleep here. It’s nearly irresistible.

However, it would be terrible if the master of the house were to find me here.

With such an extravagantly decorated room, the owner must also be of equal standing.

If someone of that status found me, I’d lose my head.

“But, i-it feels so good….”

I just want to go to sleep.

I wiped off my body and changed my clothes. The next logical step is to go to sleep. My body knows this. I could feel my consciousness slowly fading. I haven’t stayed up late like this in a long time, so my body and mind are demanding a return to normalcy.

Just as the lights began to fade and the faint background noise began to be drowned out by the sweet silence of sleep, loud pounding footsteps were charging down the hall toward the door of this room.

“Eh!?”

I quickly snapped back to my senses and started to panic.

I couldn’t think of anything else to do, so I hid myself in a nearby wardrobe.

I was merely a maid cleaning an empty room and I had no reason to hide, but I felt guilty for almost falling asleep on someone else’s bed. I was tucked away in the wardrobe before I even noticed what I was doing. Almost at the same moment the door to the wardrobe closed, the door leading to the room from the hall was thrown open and slammed into the wall.

I should have just told them I was cleaning and quickly excused myself.

Now I have no choice but to stay here.

I guess whoever lives here is back.

If I were to reveal myself now, I’d also reveal that I’m a useless maid.

Not long after, I’d be a useless, headless maid.

“….”

My only choice now is to hide here and be as quiet as possible.

Quiet. Don’t even breathe.

What followed was the voice of whomever had returned. A voice that must belong to a young woman. She was yelling and her shouts were clearly audible even through the wardrobe doors. She sounds young. Is she my age? Could someone like that actually live here?

“How can this be happening!? It’s impossible! That damn Elf can’t be alive! And she came here with the man I summoned! A-Are they here to kill me!?”

Something had happened that infuriated her. I can’t see her, but the mixture of anger and hatred in her voice is clear, but I might also be noticing some fear. I could also feel the wardrobe vibrating as she was stamping on the ground.

If she were to find out I’m hiding in here, I wonder how I’d be punished? I guess that wouldn’t even matter if I inadvertently wrinkled the sheets when I was lying on the bed. That’s a cardinal sin for any maid and I’d be exectured on the spot. I’d never be allowed to go home.

I’m really in trouble.

“Why are they doing this!? How much has she told that man!?”

The hysteria in her voice struck fear in my heart.

My armpits are already sweating.

“Why is it always her!? Why!? Why!? She’s always the one that gets in the way! Even after all the others are long dead, somehow, she still survives! All I wanted was my own private army!”

Her shouting subsided before a soft thud sounded.

She probably just fell onto the bed. There was a dim bit of light filtering in through the crack in the door. The sounds of the young woman were so loud, it didn’t take much imagination to figure out what she was doing. I tried to catch a glimpse of her through the crack, but there was nobody there.

“….”

There was a long silence after she fell onto the bed.

What’s going on? Did she fall asleep? No, there’s no way she could fall asleep that quickly after being so worked up. The silence was unnerving.

My heart started pounding as I expected the door to the wardrobe to open at any minute.

“…no, I’m looking at it wrong. This is an opportunity.”

A voice unlike anything I had heard before, spoke in a hushed whisper. The tone was completely different and I doubted that the same person could possibly be speaking. I’ve heard that people that have sudden mood changes are dangerous.

The master of this house is a dangerous person.

“I’ll capture that elf and force her to watch as I bring that man over to my side. He’s said to easily outpower even Professor Journal. Such a power as that is wasted on the Penny Empire. Maybe brainwashing him would be simpler. Aah, but if what I’ve heard from Academy City is true, it won’t be that easy….”

She was monologuing about an evil plot.

This is the type of thing that gets a maid killed if she overhears it.

“Yes, I’m a victim that deserves her revenge. I had someone precious to me stolen away and now she’ll learn exactly how that feels! I’ll never forgive that horrible bitch for what she did to me!”

She seems obsessed with that other woman.

I’m glad I can’t see her. I think her face would haunt me for the rest of my life.

“Nevertheless, I can’t help but feel anxious. Aah, I can’t even sit still. But it will work out this time. It would all be fine if that damn elf wasn’t here. Does she enjoy watching me suffer? I have to kill her. This time for sure, she’s staying dead.”

“….”

I wish I wasn’t hearing any of this.

I need to pee.

“Aaaaaaaaaahhh, I’m going crazy! I need more…more power to protect myself! The elf is just one problem! Even those disgusting commoners are out to get me! Surrounded by snakes on all sides! It can’t be helped! Those in power come to expect this!”

Whoever she is, her paranoia is at its peak.

I’ve heard that the royalty and nobility as well as wealthy merchants and high-ranking priests are always targeted by hostile actors either for their lives or property. This is called a ‘faction rivalry.’

I was even a witness to one first hand when that person tried to kill Ester-sama in the dormitory. I’m sure stuff like this happens everyday.

I recall events in the past where nobles were even being targeted by their family’s members. They became so paranoid that they refused to even eat and eventually starved to death. I’m sure the person in this room is close to that point.

There was a knock at the door after a brief momet of silence.

A visitor?

This could be good for me.

If she’s drawn out of the room, I might have a chance to escape.

“Excuse me.”

A new voice followed the knock at the door.

It sounded like a woman that was a little older than myself.

“Yes, what is it? I don’t recall asking for a maid.”

I guess another maid is here.

There was a drastic shift in tone as she greeted the maid. Her crazed voice was gone entirely and now a more refined tone more fitting of someone that owns this manor. For her to so suddenly change her personality, she must be accustomed to switching up her persona at a moment’s notice. Having overheard both versions of her, I really can’t let her find me now.

I’m too scared to even move.

“We have just received message from one of our knights that a heretic has been captured.”

“Ara, really now? Then, we must go to the dungeon immediately to greet our guest.”

“Of course.”

“It continues to amaze me that so many can fail to walk the correct path. I stand ahead of them as a beacon of hope lighting their way and yet they continue to stray. There is no act that could insult a saint more.”

“We’ve also received new tools that are awaiting you….”

“Is that so? What wonderful timing! I’ll have you bring those out to try first.”

“As you wish.”

“Aah, right, please, send word to the Heroes that –”

Slam

The sound of the door shutting cut off her words.

Two sets of footprints faded down the hall accompanied by two strangely ecstatic voices. I guess the mast has left with her maid. I cracked open the wardrobe door slightly further to see out into the room.

“….”

Okay.

It doesn’t look like there’s anyone here.

“…this is my chance.”

This place is clearly too dangerous.

I need to get out of here now.

***

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The post Atelier Tanaka – Volume 7 Chapter 3 Part 7 appeared first on Rhex's Translations.

“Is there anything in particular that brings you here this morning, Saint?”

“Nothing important, but there are some questions I wished to ask you now that you’ve spent some time here.”

She was stirring the soup in front of her with a spoon before looking up at me. As our eyes met, a smile spread across her face. What an angel.

My heart started to race as I reached for my cup. I wanted to do something to prevent any evidence of my virginity from escaping from my mouth. The tea also helped get rid of my dry throat. There’s nothing that hits a virgin’s heart harder than the smile of a beautiful woman.

Something unfamiliar to someone always has a strong impact on them.

“Do you like the accommodations you’ve been provided with?”

“Yes, this is a truly wonderful estate.”

“Thank you for saying so.”

Listening to her speaking so casually while all the maids surrounding us are potentially walking around without wearing any panties made it seem like there was a certain perverseness to her smile. I’d think she knows whether or not they’re not wearing any. She has to know.

Thinking about her like this made me realize she may be as sadistic as Richard. She knows exactly what to do to excite and control a man. I feel like my son is about to lift the table up. If I were to act on any of these thoughts, I’d almost certainly be sentenced to death.

Maybe arriving here so early in the day with no notice is part of an unknown sadistic plan of hers.

I’m not sure.

I don’t know enough about the Saint.

“Baron Tanaka, do you have any interest in our town?”

“I do. I’ve only seen a little so far, but it seems wonderful.”

“I was curious to know if you’d like someone to show you around while you’re here. I’d happily show you around myself, but I’m afraid I’d draw the interest of the townspeople and I’d prefer it if you could explore our town at your leisure. I’ve asked one of my best nuns to act as your guide, if you approve.”

“Thank you for the offer.”

I was interested in the countless churches and other unique buildings I saw in the town. Spending a day sightseeing doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Being able to explore the historical buildings of a religious country sounds like a proper vacation.

“I’ll bring her to meet you with you later.”

“Thank you.”

“The nun in question is a younger woman. She was born and raised in the Great Holy Land and has very little experience with the outside world. If you find it agreeable, I’d appreciate it if you’d teach her many things while you spend time together, Baron Tanaka. She’s eager to improve her knowledge of the rest of the world.”

“Eh? Ah, of course. I’ll do my best.”

Seriously? Am I dreaming?

Isn’t that a common flag that leads to sex? Who knew the Great Holy Land could be so dangerous? Since arriving here, I’ve only encountered the beautiful Saint and the commando maids. There are no creepy old men at all.

And now a beautiful woman with a hymen is launching a head-on assault.

This isn’t good. She’s taken the initiative.

I’m actually kind of into this.

“May I ask a question?”

“About? I’ll answer to the best of my ability.”

The topic of the heroes has yet to come up. The Saint is the one who’s prophecies have fueled the Heroes’ quest to defeat the Demon Lord, so she must have knowledge about the Demon Lord. I’d like to take this chance to discuss the differences I’ve heard about the Demon Lord from the kimoronge and everyone else.

“I just had a few questions about the previous Demon Lord, if that’s alright?”

“…the previous Demon Lord, you say?”

“That’s right.”

I caught a glimpse of the former Demon Lord’s strength during my time at Academy City.

What will happen to this world when the real thing appears?

“There are many who know of what the resurrection of the Demon Lord meant for our world in the past and what it now means for us. Ask anyone you pass in the streets and they will be able to tell you of the horrors that we will face. There may be some exaggeration to these stories, but they are still based in fact. I’m not sure if I’d be able to offer you more information than what you’ve heard, but, please, feel free to ask me whatever is on your mind.”

“I understand it’s a popular topic, but as you can see, I am from another country and am entirely unfamiliar with the Demon Lord of the past. I’m somewhat embarrassed to say that I don’t even know how past heroes have taken down the Demon Lord.”

“I can understand your curiosity. I’ll give a detailed account of the Demon Lord’s history.”

“I appreciate it.”

I straightened my back in my chair and put on the face of an uneducated student.

It’s too bad that the Kimoronge isn’t here.

“The previous Demon Lord was resurrected on the Dark Continent. This happened nearly one hundred years ago. This was four generations before my time as Saint. The saint back then also prophesied that the Demon Lord would resurrect and the chosen heroes managed to defeat it under the guidance of the past saint.”

There was a change in tone as the Saint began talking about the Demon Lord.

It was serious yet warm. She had gone from a casual conversation to a saintly woman addressing her followers. Each word is designed to draw in nonbelievers to her faith. Her title and position in the Great Holy Land are clearly not just for show. It was a captivating speech for a girl only in her mid-teens.

I silently listened as she continued.

“The last generation of heroes lived in a distant cold land and came from a nameless village after following the prophecy to the Great Holy Land. According to our records from that time, the heroes had assembled at the behest of the Saint herself. The heroes gathered here and assembled a party made up of companions from all of the surrounding countries before setting off on their journey to defeat the Demon Lord.”

So they didn’t defeat the Demon Lord by throwing mass numbers at it.

Just a small party of elite fighters.

This is something to be expected of the people of this world. They’re far different than the people of Japan due to the potential for the body to be trained to inhuman levels. Magic being a factor can’t be overlooked either. Arms races are common in modern society and I suppose people with the abilities of these past heroes are like living weapons to the people of this world.

“The heroes’ journey was long and arduous. They were forced to travel to every corner of our world with their companions, gathering information as they went, until they had finally learned the location of the resurrection of the Demon Lord. This yearslong journey culminated in the Heroes launching an assault on the Demon Lord’s castle where they finally managed to defeat it after a fierce battle.”

That was a quick conclusion to the story.

I thought there might be more to it.

Just thinking about the loligon, her life has been more eventful over the last few months.

“Legends of these heroes persist to this day in the lands that they travelled. We have records detailing the lives and journey of the previous generation of heroes, but there are more that account for the generation before that and even the generation before that. This isn’t restricted to the heroes either, there are many records detailing the Demon Lords of the past as well. I can show you these if you’re interested.”

“I see.”

“Do you have any further questions? I’ll do my best to answer them.”

To sum it all up, it’s a typical Demon King in a world of sword and sorcery.

Looking closely at the details, there are probably more detailed issues that arise at a political level that may interest history buffs, but that doesn’t interest me.

“Do you know the name of the previous Demon Lord?”

“You don’t even know the name of the Demon Lord?”

This was the first bit of genuine surprise I had seen on her face.

I guess it’s common knowledge in this world.

“I’m sure it’s strange not to know, but I come from a small village that has little outside contact….”

“…I see.”

It’s possible the impact the Demon Lord had on the world was minor in the Penny Empire. I’d heard next to nothing about him until recently. Honestly, the FitzClarence family was far more feared than the Demon Lord.

“The previous Demon Lord’s name was Roast. He possesses terrifying magic and there are reports that he single-handedly destroyed an entire human army with the flick of his wrist. To counter the immense magical power the Demon Lord possessed, the past heroes used an ancient treasure to capture his magic so that they could defeat him in a final battle.”

“I see.”

The clouds are finally starting to darken.

This is not the Demon Lord I had pictured.

It’s possible the status window I read was wrong, or the ‘former Demon Lord’ job was referring to the Demon Lord of two generations past or even further than that. However, if I recall what the kimoronge told me, the slug creature we encountered in Academy City is definitely the last incarnation of the Demon Lord.

“I’m sorry if this is becoming tedious, but could you tell me the names of the other incarnations of the Demon Lord. If I’m to have further interactions with the people of the Great Holy Land, I’d like to know as much as possible to refrain from looking ignorant to your people.”

“Fufu, you’re quite the studious one, Baron Tanaka. The Demon Lord of two generations back was called Meunière, the one before that Sauté, the fourth generation back was named Poêler, and five generations back was Erin. They are each horrible monsters of history. It would be fair to not only call them enemies of mankind but also the world.”

“I see.”

Erin was the name of the previous Demon Lord according to the Kimoronge. He also told me that Erin was alive nearly five hundred years ago. If what the Great Holy Land claims is true, the Demon Lord being resurrected every hundred years, then Erin being the Demon Lord of five hundred years ago lines up with what the kimoronge told me.

That doesn’t explain why the kimoronge claims Erin was the last Demon Lord while the Great Holy Land claims there have been four others since him.

If I think about it from the perspective of an ordinary human, any considerably strong demon might fall under the category of ‘demon lord.’ If this idea of a Demon Lord appearing every hundred years could be cemented in the minds of humans everywhere, it would only be a matter of finding a powerful demon and pointing a finger at him before declaring him the Demon lord.

Even the kimoronge could be considered a Demon Lord when comparing his power to the average human.

It’s actually quite common in human history for us to categorize a specific creature as belonging to the same species as another only for further tests to be done in the future. The results definitively proving that the two creatures were in no way related.

I wouldn’t be surprised that past Demon Lords were just particularly powerful demons that humans mistook to be the next incarnation of the Demon Lord. This could explain the differences between the general consensus of humanity and the kimoronge when it pertains to the Demon Lord.

If all of that is true, it still doesn’t explain the current prophecy or past prophecies of the Great Holy Land.

“….”

At the very least, any claims of receiving the prophecy from a God or gods is almost certainly a lie. It’s still possible that the prophecy is real in a sense. However, it’s most likely a general consensus agreed upon by a council of oracles that have decided there are signs in the world suggesting the birth of a new Demon Lord.

This regular reincarnation of a Demon Lord must stand to benefit both the Great Holy Land and other surrounding countries. If these have all been fake Demon Lords then the risk of it coming out that the Great Holy Land has been lying would be too high. The chance of anyone discovering this would be lowered if the other countries involved would also benefit from donations or other means.If everyone is benefitting, why would anyone want to bring an end to the good times? If I recall correctly, His Majesty mentioned something about donations needed to aid the heroes in their fight against the Demon Lord.

And so, the Demon Lord now appears once every hundred years.

I think I’m starting to get the picture.

“Do you have any further questions?”

“I do….”

However, there still is a legitimate Demon Lord. The last one being almost five hundred years ago.

The same one I encountered in Academy City that held a fraction of its original power.

I doubt that if I teamed up with the loligon, Goggoru-chan, and the Kimoronge that we’d be able to defeat a fully powered legitimate Demon Lord. Even in that chimeric state that possessed a fraction of his power, it was a difficult fight. That slug was mindless, destroying everything around it. With a level of intelligence matching a human, it would be a foe capable of subjugating the world.

“I’d like to know more about the Demon Lord of five generations past.”

“Of course. What would you like to know?”

“How did the heroes manage to defeat this Demon Lord?”

“I see….”

I can’t imagine how they did it.

Did they possess some long forgotten all powerful magic?

“To get all of the details, you’d need to find the correct records in the grand archive, but from what I can recall, the Saint of that time joined with the hero to work together in order to defeat the Demon Lord. She unleashed a powerful magic that nearly cost her her own life.

“I see.”

The Saints are amazing.

I didn’t expect this, but they might be trained as fighters as well.

“The story goes that the Hero and his party travelled to the Demon Lord’s castle along with the Saint. After a long battle, the Hero and his party gave their lives to unleash the final magical blow that put an end to the Demon Lord. Fortunately, the Saint herself managed to survive and found her way back to the Great Holy Land.”

“So the only one to survive was the Saint?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Not only was she brave to risk her own life, but she was also strong enough to make it back alive.

I wonder what kind of person that Saint was.

“That battle must have been harrowing.”

“If the records are true, that was the case.”

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that all of humanity was saved by the Saint.

That makes sense. The power that the Great Holy Land possesses today can be attributed to the sacrifice the Saint made in the past. Even His Majesty of the Penny Empire, a man that prefers to dout on his daughter and is tight with his purse, is forced to act at the command of the Great Holy Land. The Great Holy Land owes everything to the Hero and their party as well as the Saint of five hundred years ago.

“O-Oi”

Oh, Edita Sensei has something to say.

I wonder what it is.

“Is there something you need, Edita-san?”

“No, umm, how do I say it….”

Something is clearly on Sensei’s mind.

She looked like she wanted to say something, but there was also a look of guilt in her eyes that was stopping her. Her lips would tremble as she tried to speak and her mouth opened partially before she gave up and sank back into her chair.

And the final result was —

“Nevermind, i-it’s nothing….”

“Are you sure? If there’s something on your mind, feel free to speak it.”

“It’s fine! I don’t have anything to say, really!”

“Is that so? Then I guess it’s fine….”

I wanted to press a little harder, but she insists that it’s nothing. Maybe she’ll tell me if I give her some time. Either way, I feel like she’ll just close up if I try to push any further.

Instead, let’s just thank the Saint for her hospitality and for answering my questions.

“Thank you for your answers. I think I understand more about the Great Holy Land and the Demon Lord now.”

“I’m glad I was able to be of help.”

I wonder if the power of the saints has persisted through the years.

Maybe the current Saint would be capable of defeating the Demon Lord I encountered in Academy City.

Oh no.

The looks of the Saint combined with immeasurable power…. It’s too exciting.

I want to be reverse raped by the Saint.

What better position for that is there than cowgirl?

Status window, please.

That is impressive.

I think there were monsters I encountered on the Dark Continent that had similar statuses. I think she’s strong enough to replace one of the heroes’ parties by herself.

She’d probably fit right in with the Hero of the West’s party.

“Do I have something on my face?”

“No, I’m sorry. I was lost in thought.”

I couldn’t stop myself from staring at her.

She is easily the strongest person I’ve ever met. She is clearly deserving of the title of ‘saint.’ I thought she might just be little more than a decoration, but she is a fitting representative of her country. It’s more than just her stats that make me feel this way.

“I was captivated by the eloquence of your oration. This was the first time I’ve had an opportunity to speak to you in length and I was in complete awe. I think I understand why you are loved by your people. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with you.”

“I may hold the title of saint, but I am still young with much to learn.”

“Don’t be absurd.”

Is she just trying to be modest? I think that she could use some help realizing how impressive she is.

This is also for selfish reasons on my part. She is the leader of a religious country with a global influence. If I make a good impression here, I have a feeling it will be beneficial in the future. More than anything, the young woman in front of me has a lewd body and a cute face. I have no reason to resist serving her.

“There’s something about you that makes me feel like you will accomplish great things in the future.”

“Great things?”

“I’ve felt this way since I first met you. I know I am just a lowly baron and I may be speaking of things I couldn’t possibly understand, but ever since I met you in the audience chamber, I’ve sensed that there is something different about you. Something that sets you apart from the rest.”

“You certainly have a way with words, Baron Tanaka.”

“I am just speaking my heart.”

Maybe I went a little far there, but I think it’s fine. This world favors those that like to suck up. I’m sure the Saint is used to a certain level of sycophantic behaviour, so I need to go a step further in order to stand out from the crowd.

We continued our meal.

The Saint finished her meal first and departed back to her mansion after first introducing the nun that would act as my guide. She apologized as she left, claiming she had work to attend to.

After I finish my meal, I think I’ll rest for a short while before heading out to see the city.

This is a nice vacation so far.

The time may finally be coming. The age of virginity may finally be at its end.

***

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The post Atelier Tanaka – Volume 7 Chapter 3 Part 6 appeared first on Rhex's Translations.

The first destination for this new master-slave combo was the dining room.

With Drill-chan at my side, we travelled to the first floor of the mansion where we found Edita Sensei already waiting at the table. After spending some time with her when we were both living in Dragon City, it was common for her to sleep in late, but I guess that’s changed.

She arrived first and took a seat at the table and patiently waited for everyone else to arrive.

She hasn’t even touched any of the food yet.

A freshly pressed tablecloth covered the table with tableware and teacups positioned at each seat. The cups of tea had long since lost the steam. My lovely Sensei was sitting on a tall chair with her cute feet swaying beneath her, unable to reach the floor.

This swaying stopped as soon as she spotted us.

“Eh…w-what’s this about!? Have you been with this girl all morning!?”

“I ran into her when I was leaving my room.”

“I-Is that so? Right, I see. T-That’s certainly possible!”

“Yes, it’s possible.”

The kimoronge was nowhere in sight.

That’s fine by me.

I don’t like the sight of him.

“I’m sorry we made you wait to eat, but I appreciate you waiting for us.”

“No, I-I just got here myself.”

I nodded at Sensei before taking the seat across from her. Naturally, Drill-chan walked up beside me and took the seat to my right. The dining table was long and could fit several people, but the three of us were directly in the middle, two on one side and one on the other.

“Ah….”

A small gasp escaped Sensei’s lips.

“What? Is something wrong~?”

“I-It’s nothing. It can’t be helped after all….”

“Is that so~?”

As we took our seats, several maids that were waiting in the corner began to move.

They brought out food for the three of us and made up pates for all of us. They were quick and graceful. They continued bringing out dish after dish, laying out appetizers and soups all across the table. The delectable smell tickled my nostrils. There’s nothing worse than an empty stomach to start the day.

The sound of someone’s stomach growling could be heard over the clanking of dishes and silverware.

“….”

I won’t say where it came from.

Just as I had experienced previously, all of the maids here kept their legs straight and their hips thrust backward whenever they had to bend forward at the waist. The amazing hospitality of the Great Holy Land continues to shine brightly here as well.

I wonder if they’re not wearing any panties today.

They all possessed curvaceous bodies and the dark shadows created by the creases between their large asses and thick thighs were mesmerizing. I couldn’t turn my virgin eyes away. The secret barely obscured by their mini-skirts made my heart pound. These lewd maids are the best.

“O-Oi!”

Edita Sensei suddenly yelled out.

Is she trying to hide the embarrassment from her stomach growling?

“What is it, Edita-san?”

“We’ve had this amazing meal prepared for us, so why aren’t we enjoying it? We should be talking!”

“You’re right about that.”

I can’t help but have my eyes occasionally drawn to the maids. It’s sad that Sensei is crossing her legs, but it doesn’t matter anyway with the table blocking any chance I have of catching a glimpse beneath her skirt.

The only thing left for me to look at was the maid who was constantly attending to my every need while thrusting her ass as if asking me to shove it in her from behind. It’s forbidden for a virgin.

Still, I want to see it. I want to see what lies beneath her skirt.

“This salad sure is d-delicious.”

“You’re right. It tastes so good.”

“Right!?”

However, I can’t ignore Sensei when she speaks to me.

She was robotically moving the food from her plate to her mouth with a stressed look on her face.

It would be horrible if she noticed I was eagerly anticipating every chance I’d get to ogle the maids.

“This sauce is also very good! The flavor is just right!”

“Yeah, I think it might be my favourite part so far.”

“Really!?”

As I was engaging in casual conversation with Sensei, a loud metallic clattering sounded throughout the dining room.

It came from right beside me.

I turned to Drill-chan and saw that the fork she was using had mysteriously disappeared. My eyes slowly moved down to where the sound came from and I spotted the fork lying next to her feet just a few centimetres from her toes.

“Ara~n? I seemed to have dropped my fork.”

Her eyes shifted over toward me.

Her plan is obvious.

She wants her slave to get it for her.

I’m ready for this.

Let the slave battle begin.

“Will you get it for me?”

“…me?”

“Would you ask a lady to pick up something from the floor?”

“Hmm? What are you talking about? You were the one that dropped it….”

Edita Sensei has a point, but I can’t refuse any of Drill-chan’s commands. I pushed my chair back and slowly stood up before getting down on my knees under the table and placing my hands near her feet.

Naturally, the big-breasted loli’s feet came within inches of my nose. Even from this angle, her long skirt prevented me from seeing her thighs. Even so, I could get a closeup look at her calves and the pleasant fragrance coming from her body tickled my nose.

Of course, there’s no part of me that wants to be in this position. I don’t have a choice, after all. I need to get the recipe for hair regrowth from Drill-chan. Ah, how unfortunate. It can’t be helped. Curse my balding head.

“O-Oi!”

I heard Edita Sensei protesting again and quickly reached out for the fork.

As soon as my fingers were near it, Drill-chan’s foot moved.

To be more exact, her foot stomped down on the back of my hand. I’m not sure if she chose to take off her shoes out of concern for me or fear of retaliation once my servitude ends, but the decision was a blessing for me. She’s only wearing stockings which means I get a near direct transmission of loli heat on my hand.

“….”

“Fufu, ufufufu.”

She lifted her other foot and placed it down on my head.

The same warm sensation was transmitted to my scalp.

“….”

I didn’t realize how much I’d enjoy being stepped on by a loli.

If you really think about it, Drill-chan is a great person. To think that she’d freely do something like this that would easily cost at least ¥5,000 in Akiba. If the person doing it was the same age as Drill-chan, it would be impossible to put a price on it.

No wonder the Kimoronge has sworn his allegiance to her. If I could be promised rewards like this on a regular basis, I’d happily submit myself to Drill-chan and forget all of my other prospects in life.

“W-What are you doing down there?”

Ah, crap, I can hear Sensei moving in her chair to look under the table.

We’re in a pinch.

Drill-chan quickly removed her feet from me and placed them back in her shoes and then quickly feigned ignorance. Just as Sensei’s head appeared under the table, I was left alone with my hand on the fork. There was no evidence of what had just happened.

“…oi, how long does it take to pick up a fork?”

“Sorry about that. My back has been hurting recently after everything I’ve been doing.”

“Eh? A-Are you alright?”

“Yes, I can manage it with my recovery magic.”

“Really? Then, that’s good.”

It was close, but we’re safe.

This feeling of almost getting caught is intoxicating.

At this rate, Drill-chan will have me completely trained before I return to the Penny Empire.

If I think about this, Drill-chan is still a virgin. Maybe this route isn’t that bad.

I’d like there to be romance involved when I lose my virginity, but a love a master has for her slave is still love.

I want to experience first hand the moment sadism turns to love.

“Umm, I-I have another fork for you.”

As soon as I had returned to my seat, a maid approached from my side with a new fork for Drill-chan.

“Thank you. It’s for her.”

“Of course.”

The maid set a new fork down in front of Drill-chan.

I’m sure this maid has worked here for many years. Every action she takes looks so sophisticated. The idea of such a sophisticated maid walking around with no panties did more to excite me than any poorly made AV even though I can’t see any of it.

“Excuse me, this is the one that she dropped….”

I held out the fork Drill-chan had dropped and noticed it had a wet shine on the tines. Drill-chan’s saliva.

Damn it.

I missed my chance to put it in my mouth.

“Thank you for picking it up.”

The sophisticated maid placed her hands on mine when she grabbed the fork. This is just like at the convenience store when the cute clerk gives you your change back and touches the top of your hand. When such a pretty girl does this, it makes me want to skip all of the pretense and propose to her right there.

This is the legendary hospitality of the Great Holy Land.

They target a virgin’s weak point and attack without mercy.

No other joy in life can compete with the warmth from a cute girl’s hand when she touches yours.

“Baron Tanaka, you have a guest.”

“I do?”

“Yes, the Saint is here for you.”

What does she want with me?

Given her high standing, I suppose I can’t make her wait while I eat.

“I’ll be out to greet her right away.”

“There’s no need. I’ve already informed her you were eating and she’s come to meet you here.”

“Ah, sure.”

Directly behind the maid, a young woman entered through the doorway leading out to the hall. The most distinguishing characteristic of this woman was her unparalleled beauty. It was the Saint I had met yesterday.

I may be the temporary master of this estate, but the maids here report directly to the Saint and any of her commands would overrule mine. I gave her a deep bow as she passed through the doorway.

I was surprised to see that she was alone. She may be the type of person that prefers travelling alone. It’s rare for someone with such a grand title to travel alone, but the noble mage is another example of such a person.

“I apologize for interrupting your meal. Would you mind if I joined you?”

“It would be an honor for you to join us.”

After we exchanged our greetings, the maids began quickly moving around as they prepared a seat for the Saint. It was cool seeing a large group like them to so quickly arrange a place at the table without even exchanging a single word.

As the maid’s finished, the Saint remained frozen as her eyes met Edita Sensei.

“Saint-sama, do you know my companion?”

“Eh? Ah, n-no. It’s nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

It looked like Edita Sensei was also confused by the Saint’s sudden intense gaze.

My blonde, thick thighed, loli Sensei tends to wear her emotions on her face. Which is why, looking closely at her face, I can tell that she’s having a normal reaction that suggests they’ve never met before.

Sensei is an accomplished alchemist, but it would still be strange for someone like a saint to recognize her. I couldn’t stop thinking about her reaction and what might be the cause for it.

“If you’d like, you can take my seat instead….”

“No, it’s really nothing. I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

The Saint quickly brushed off my suggestion and walked toward her seat.

“Pardon me.”

She gave everyone a small bow before taking her seat beside Edita Sensei and directly across from Drill-chan. Sensei had an immediate reaction to a stranger sitting beside her and her cute fidgeting was hard to look away from.

I also returned to my seat to continue my meal.

***

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The post Atelier Tanaka – Volume 7 Chapter 3 Part 5 appeared first on Rhex's Translations.

We established our base in one of the many inns that caters to commoners in the Great Holy Land. It was of a medium size and fairly nice considering it’s meant for commoners.

I’ve felt pretty useless up until now, so having a chance to finally contribute felt nice. I was putting the gold I received from the King during the dragon subjugation to good use.

I was able to cover the costs of three people for an entire week’s stay.

With this covered, we can now fully concentrate on searching for the Elf-san.

However, for today, after buying clothes for the Goggoru-san, it’s time for us to rest. It was already late when we arrived here and the Goggoru-san and Dragon-san decided we’d resume our search tomorrow.

Me being nothing more than a simple maid, left me no choice but to go along with what they wanted.

Which is why I’m now lying in bed.

“….”

Even though I can’t sleep.

How am I supposed to sleep? I feel like I should be out looking for the Elf-san. Thoughts of what have happened to her kept swirling around my mind. I know it’s best to try to sleep tonight so I can be fully rested for the search tomorrow, but my body refuses to sleep.

However, it’s not as if I can do anything on my own. It would take me all night to get back to the area we lost her. Without the Dragon-san as my ride, all I can do is sleep. I feel sorry for the Elf-san.

“….”

Lying in bed in complete silence with nothing but my own thoughts began to make me feel groggy.

This lasted for almost a half an hour before sleep finally came to me. Riding around on the back of the Dragon-san may not be physically tiring, but it sure is mentally. My eyes slowly closed and the little sound reaching my ears faded into the distance.

Just as my last bit of consciousness was beginning to fade away, a voice from the bed beside me cut through the silence.

『…is she finally asleep?』

“….”

The voice was little more than a whisper; maybe someone speaking in their sleep.

I wasn’t sure whether to reply or not.

My mind was still foggy.

“….”

『….』

The futon I slept on was warm and welcoming. I didn’t want to get up, but I felt like I should reply.

Maybe she’s not talking to me.

Lost in my confusion, I missed the chance to reply.

My lack of reaction seemed to confirm to the Dragon-san that I was fully asleep.

『Time to go….』

I could hear sheets moving and the floorboards creaking as the Dragon-san stood from the bed.

The sound of her footsteps crossed the room before it sounded like the door opened.

Is she going somewhere? Maybe use the toilet? I was still pretending to be asleep. I’m worried what she might do if she found out I was pretending to be asleep.

I thought about what the creaking could be as I silently laid in bed.

Then, I heard the Goggoru-san’s voice coming from the nearby window.

“…we should hurry up and go.”

『Mu, w-when did you get there!? Are you following me!?』

“Not really….”

The creaking I heard before was actually the window being opened. I was convinced it was the door.

『O-Oi! S-Stay back! Don’t come any closer!』

“Too bad.”

『You’re a horrible little creature….』

I opened my eyes just enough so I could see what was happening.

Just as I thought, I could see the window open and the Goggoru-san floating in the night sky outside of it. Due to her mind reading ability, we were forced to get a separate room for her. The Dragon-san refused to share a room with her.

I feel terrible thinking it, but I was glad that she was in a different room.

“I already know that.”

『…do you have to be so snarky?』

“Only with the dragon that defended me.”

『I’m going to torture you until you forgot all about that? Haa!?』

“If you keep yelling like that, you’ll wake up Sophia.”

『Gu….』

“I’m leaving now…. I don’t want to waste anymore time while Edita is still missing.”

“Gururururu, I know already! I was planning on leaving before you even got here!”

The Dragon-san stepped onto the windowsill and launched herself into the sky.

The pair quickly faded away into the night sky.

“….”

I guess the two of them decided to stay at the inn to accommodate me.

I also don’t think that the two of them had made a prior arrangement to leave to continue the search for Edita-san as I slept. I think they both decided on their own to continue the search and the Goggoru-san knew the Dragon-san would leave eventually. No wonder the Dragon-san didn’t complain after hearing the Goggoru-san’s suggestion.

“…”

I kind of feel ashamed for even falling asleep.

I’m useless.

I’ve felt this way many times before.

“…any chance I had of sleeping is gone now.”

I can at least try to help.

There’s a chance the Elf-san managed to find her way here. She’s a commoner like me, so travelling to a town like this is more likely than finding her in the last place we looked. That area was a resort town specifically catering to the nobility and royalty of the world.

There’s still something I can do, even if it isn’t as much as I’d like.

I’ll start with something simple like asking around town about her.

***

On the second day of my stay in the Great Holy Land, Drill-chan was back to doing Drill-chan things.

“…good morning.”

She was sitting down on my abdomen as I woke up. She was mounting me in a bicycle position with her legs on either side of me and her butt on my stomach. The pressure on my stomach was unpleasant when I was asleep, but now it’s pure bliss.

“Why aren’t you up yet?”

“I can’t get up with you on top of me.”

“To think that a slave would talk back to his master like this.”

“…a slave?”

“We’ve already been over this, haven’t we? You are my slave for as long as we are on vacation.”

“Right, and this is still part of our vacation?”

“It isn’t?”

“….”

The slave battle is set to continue.

I’m up for the challenge.

That’s what I originally thought, but I also realized that Edita Sensei is here. I can’t show her that side of me. I think when I reunite with Goggoru-chan, it will be pleasurable to have her read everything that happened, but I think it’s best to avoid Sensei seeing it with her own eyes.

I don’t want her to be disgusted with me.

“….”

“Is something wrong?”

“It’s just that Baron Tanaka is here on official work.”

“That’s fine if you need to do that. Of course, I won’t be able to give you the recipe.”

“Wha….”

I forgot about that.

The original reason I agreed to be her slave was so that I could get the recipe for hair regrowth pills from her. The punishment had turned into the reward while the original reward was entirely forgotten. I’ve steadily been losing hair each day. I can’t give up on the hair regrowth recipe. Women focus on men’s hair more than most men think.

Take for example: B-kun. B-kun was an attractive salesman who looked good in his expensive suit and got a high-paying job the same year he graduated. However, once his thirtieth birthday came around, his hair began falling out. His rising career flamed out in no time. Within sixth months, he quit his job after developing a mental illness. His girlfriend of four years dumped him after they had promised to marry. According to a few rumours going around, he moved back in with his parents and now spends his time playing with his lightsaber.

“…I get it.”

I can’t give up.

Baldness can even be a deadly disease.

“Then you know what you must do, don’t you?”

“…ku.”

It’s alright.

Just stick to the mantra of “ku” and it’ll be fine.

I don’t know why, but I have this strange feeling that this slave play will escalate into involving Edita Sensei before evolving into a form of bondage play.

***

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The post Atelier Tanaka – Volume 7 Chapter 3 Part 4 appeared first on Rhex's Translations.

『Fufu~n, what a pathetic sight.』

The Dragon-san was relishing every moment of it.

The two of them have never got along with each other.

There was a sinister smile of satisfaction on her face.

『They’re right, you know? You should just leave already and go back to wherever you came from. Nobody wants you here.』

“Umm, t-this is the expected r-reaction….”

I wanted to speak up to console her, but I couldn’t think of what to say.

I have my own reasons for disliking being around the Goggoru-san, but it’s not as if I dislike her as a person. Besides, we’ve been together the last few days working alongside one another. I feel we’ve grown closer and I don’t want to let her go because I know how important she is to Tanaka-san.

『A goggoru will never be able to live with humans.』

“That’s…umm….”

The comments weren’t even directed at me but it still hurt to hear.

I’m sure most people are like me and choose to keep a distance from her. There are very few people in this world that would stand by her side.

Even now, there’s a good distance between us. An outsider watching this scene could easily interpret me being on the side of the angry crowd. My conscience is telling me to stand beside her, but my feet remained still and I held my place in the crowd with a growing pain in my chest.

I know if Tanaka-san was here, he’d already be beside her telling her everything will be alright.

But I’m not someone capable of doing that.

It’s only natural for someone to be scared of having their thoughts read.

“Goggorus aren’t welcome here!”

While I was worrying over what to do, someone shouted from the crowd before a stone came flying from somewhere within the crowd toward the Goggoru-san. It was a large stone, the size of a fist. Whoever threw it used all of their strength. The stone hit the Goggoru-san right in the face.

There was an audible thud.

It then fell to the ground at her feet.

There was a noticeable red mark on her cheek where it had hit her. The stone was thrown with such force that, if she had been a human, it easily would have cracked her bones.

I’ve heard from Tanaka-san that not only are goggorus sturdy people, this goggoru is special and even stronger than a normal member of her race. I doubt any normal human could do much to hurt her by throwing a stone. When the stone smashed into her face, she didn’t even move.

“….”

Still, she does have the appearance of a young girl and seeing someone throw a stone at her was heartbreaking. Her expression remained the same as she raised a hand to her cheek and slowly rubbed the red spot. This gave off a rather pitiable image.

Her childish appearance and reserved personality created a surreal image of a child who had abandoned all hope. The visual struck something deep down inside of me. The Goggoru-san remained silent throughout it all. She seemed to be staring at something in the distance that I couldn’t see.

What should I do?

Should we just sleep outside of town?

That sounds good.

Let’s do that.

I don’t mind sleeping outside for a night or two. This is near a resort area for the nobility and they selected this region for a reason. The temperature is agreeable throughout the year and it’s patrolled regularly so there is minimal fear of wild animals or bandits.

Now that I made up my mind, I turned to the Dragon-san to try to convince her.

“Umm, i-if you don’t mind….”

『Oi, who threw that rock!?』

Just as I had finally gathered the courage to approach the Dragon-san, she turned her attention to the crowd. Her sinister smile was gone and now her inhuman eyes and sharp teeth contorted into an expression that would terrify any human.

She walked toward the crowd without hesitating. She had a clear target in mind. One of the men in the crowd that had been particularly hard on the Goggoru-san and the same man that had thrown the stone.

『It was you, wasn’t it?』

“W-What’s the problem? Your dress suggests you’re a noble, so what quarrel do you have with me?”

『You were the one that threw that rock, right?』

“That goggoru is freely walking through town. As a true believer, it’s not only natural but expected of me to throw stones at it. I-I don’t see the problem. Don’t tell me, ojou-sama, you’re trying to show mercy to a goggoru?”

This man seems to have misjudged the Dragon-san as a noblewoman based on the dress she wore. It was given to her by Fahren-sama, so it is made from a high-quality, expensive material. As the maid responsible for cleaning it every time she got it dirty while building Dragon City, I can personally attest to the quality of it.

He couldn’t be more wrong. She’s not only not a noble, but she’s not even human. However, her position as mayor of Dragon City puts her at a higher rank than most low-ranking nobles. Not to mention the amount of gold that flows through that city is immense and it continues to grow with each passing day.

“…eh?”

The Dragon-san slowly raised her hand.

“….”

I don’t think this will end well.

I can already see the surrounding buildings and people stained in red.

“P-Please, wait!”

I rushed to her side and wrapped myself around her arm in an attempt to stop her.

『…g-get your hands off of me!』

“Hiii….”

I knew the Dragon-san would yell at me.

I even let out a little pee.

『You almost just had your arm ripped off! Do you understand how stupid that was!?』

“If you attack the townspeople, T-Tanaka-san will be angry with you! I’ll handle this, Christina-san. I’ll take care of it, so please, stay back! P-P-Please!”

『Gu….』

Bringing up Tanaka-san’s name had the desired effect.

The Dragon-san lowered her arm without any resistance.

This exchange left the man who had thrown the stone with a confused look on his face.

I put myself between the Dragon-san and him and tried to defuse the situation.

“I-I’d like to apologize on her behalf. This girl is the daughter of a powerful nobleman from the Penny Empire and that goggoru belongs to her house as well. If anything were to happen to her, your life would be in g-great danger, so we beg for your forgiveness for not abiding by your customs….”

“Eh….?”

『Oi, why would we ask for his forgiveness!?』

I may be stretching the truth a bit, but if he continues what he’s doing, the end result for this man would be the same, so it should be okay.

The man’s complexion slowly turned pale after hearing what I said. The distance we were keeping from the Goggoru-san gave off the impression that she was alone. This man never noticed us walking some distance ahead of her and didn’t even think that this noble-dressed girl and a maid would be accompanying this lone goggoru.

“No, even so, t-there’s no collar around its neck.”

“Ojou-sama has a very caring heart….”

“….”

I turned to the Dragon-san and lowered my head. The education I received at the dormitory to be a proper maid to the nobility was being put to full use here. I learned that a minor detail that carries a great significance is the angle of the waist when bowing to your master. It’s all about the angle.

『…gururururu』

I’m still worried that the Dragon-san will attack the man.

The man hesitated for a moment before taking a few steps back.

Before I knew it, he had dropped to his knees.

It was a textbook example of prostration. His forehead was even touching the ground.

“I didn’t realize she belonged to a noble. I beg for your forgiveness. P-P-Please, forgive me! I’ve learned my lesson and will never treat a goggoru like that again. Please, just show me mercy! I’ll do anything if you let me live….”

The relationship between commoners and the nobility remains the same even in the Great Holy Land.

I’d imagine a country like this gets many nobles visiting from various countries and interactions like this aren’t uncommon. However, when I think that one of the more serious incidents involved me, I had mixed feelings about it.

I won’t deny that I got a little pleasure from a grown man groveling at my feet.

“O-Oi, Oi, she’s the servant of a noble!” “T-They said it wasn’t a slave!” “I don’t want to get involved with this! It’s going to end horribly!” “Mama, goggoru! Goggoru!” “Don’t look at it!” “That man threw a rock at a nobleman’s servant. He’s as good as dead.” “That was close. I was about to throw one too….”

The surrounding crowd overheard me and they quickly scattered like cockroaches when a light is turned on. They saw this man cowering and knew that it was best to flee.

It only took a few seconds for the crowd to clear, leaving only me, the Dragon-san, the Goggoru-san, and the man who threw the stone. Anybody that passed by gave us a wide berth and ignored the strange sight of a grown man on his knees. This is what the power of the nobility is capable of.

The Dragon-san watched in silence with her cold eyes.

『…hmph, what a waste of breath. Let’s get going already.』

It looks like she’s calmed down.

Thank goodness.

I didn’t want to get thrown in jail.

I don’t think that would end well for me.

“…thank you.”

I let out a small sigh of relief before the Goggoru-san approached me to thank me. I can’t say why, but this small thanks sent a wave of warmth through my chest. It’s similar to a terrifying animal sharing a piece of its prey with a smaller pup.

It feels great.

I’m happy I did my best to defend her.

Maybe a day will come when the two of us could become friends.

I have my doubts, but I’d be happy if we do.

『I-It’s not like I did that for you!』

“I was only talking to Sophia.”

『Gu….』

“…that was a joke.”

『W-W-What the hell!? Haa!?』

“…thank you, dragon.”

『Shut up, shut up, shut up! Be quiet! Damn goggoru!』

She’s doing her best to hide her embarrassment.

The Dragon-san disregarded the bowing Goggoru-san and started marching ahead of us.

“Ah, w-wait up!”

I quickly hurried after her with the Goggoru-san following behind me. She remained a short distance behind us, a little further than the length of a spear. She might even be farther back than she was before. Maybe she’s doing it out of concern for us.

I think it might be a good idea to get her new clothes while she’s here. In her current outfit, any passerby can tell that she’s a goggoru. With something that covers a bit more skin, it might be possible for her to walk through the streets without being harassed. I’ll bring up this suggestion when we get to the inn.

***

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The post Atelier Tanaka – Volume 7 Chapter 3 Part 3 appeared first on Rhex's Translations.

I’m sorry to announce this and I’m sure a lot of people will be disappointed, but I am no longer going to be translating.

I’ll put this at the top in the hopes more people read it: I’ll try to translate at least another month’s worth due to the donations I’ve received. I’ve already cancelled all recurring payments and removed donation links from my site, but if you want a refund for the last month, message me with the email you donated with and I will refund it. I would also suggest reaching out to other translators that are looking for a new series. Atelier Tanaka is popular and would bring in a lot of views to anyone that can offer a decent translation and a more frequent upload schedule.

I also intend on keeping this site up for as long as I can afford to or until someone else picks up this series and migrates old chapters over (I don’t want people to rely on scraping sites to read old chapters). They, or anyone else, are free to take all of the chapters I’ve posted and archive them or post them on their own site(s).

I’m sorry for dropping this, but I’ve always felt this sense of guilt for releasing so slowly and I hope that someone will pick this up and give this series (and all of you) the proper treatment it deserves.

Everything below here is my reason for stopping:
If you’ve been reading this series for a while, you’d know that I suffered from health issues years ago that really put me into a bad depression. I’ve been on meds for this for a couple years now and I believed it was helping up until recently. I mentioned about a month ago that I found a new job and would go from working 70+ hours a week down to about 40. For the better part of a year now, I’ve always felt melancholic and I believed this to be due to my high work load and never being home. Even after leaving that job, I still feel this way. I get angry at people for inviting me out because I need to think of an excuse to tell them other than, “I feel like shit and I don’t know why, but I don’t even want to leave my bed.”
I wish I knew why I felt this way or how to fix it. I can’t even use the excuse of covid because it has hardly affected my life. I’ve never had it and nobody close to me has died from it. I hope that I can find time to find something that works. Be that therapy, meds, or something else. I used to workout a lot because that was the one thing that would alleviate this sense of melancholy, but even that does nothing for me any more.

The post Atelier Tanaka – Volume 7 Chapter 3 Part 2 appeared first on Rhex's Translations.

Thank you to Eli and Jeremy each for continuing their monthly donations!

Enjoy the chapter!

The post Atelier Tanaka – Volume 7 Chapter 3 Part 1 appeared first on Rhex's Translations.

Quite some time had passed since we departed the docks for the airships.

Our Hero guide led our small group through the city streets to our eventual destination of a large stone structure. The interior of this building was easily on par with the castles I’d been inside in the Penny Empire. The one word I’d use to describe this place is: gorgeous. I’d imagine this is what the Buckingham Palace looks like on the inside.

I was told that this place serves a similar purpose to the imperial castle back in Kalis.

We continued following after the Hero of the West.

Corridor after corridor, we proceeded through the outer chambers of the castle until we had progressed much further towards the heart of the complex.

There were strange objects and paintings of some religious meaning that I couldn’t quite grasp. It gave me the feeling that if I were to ask for more information about a single item, I’d receive an hourslong lecture about its history and significance to this world’s religion.

After passing through a few more ornately decorated halls, we arrived in the waiting room outside the audience chamber.

We were told that the Saint was waiting for us on the other side of the door.

This title of ‘Saint’ may be ambiguous but I’ve been able to gather that she holds similar power to that of a king. Although, I still don’t know if she holds real power. I’ve also picked up on context clues that suggest she’s a woman and I fully expect there to be a council or maybe an elderly man standing beside her that holds the true power. This is a medieval age after all.

“It seems rather strange that a foreign noble can so easily get an audience with someone of such high standing.”

This question naturally came to mind and I felt the need to ask it.

Of course, my question was directed at the Hero of the West.

“I have to agree, but this is what she requested herself.”

“…I see.”

This supposed ‘prophecy’ that she had is seeming more like this woman satisfying her own interests rather than anything miraculous.

Is this normal? I wonder if there’s any legitimacy to her other prophecies.

“The Saint has requested a meeting with you alone. I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to accompany you any further. The customs we follow in the Great Holy Land may differ from the Penny Empire, but if you practice the same conduct you’d show in front of your King, it should prove acceptable for the Saint.”

“Of course.”

The only thing I have to look forward to is this Saint being a woman.

The word ‘saint’ has also got my imagination running wild.

Maybe I’m being too hopeful, but I want her to be in her teens. Maybe she’ll sit on a raised throne with a short that borders on just too short. There’s a small chance for an amazing view. With that thought in mind, I was prepared to enter with a glimmer of hope in my heart. There’s no chance I’m skipping this cutscene.

“Do you have any further questions before entering?”

“No, I’m ready.”

Any more information might ruin that small hope I have.

If he were to tell me that the Saint is older than me, I’d lose all of my motivation. I’d be tempted to just turn around and leave now. With a title like Saint, she must be in her teens. At worst, she’s in her twenties and I’ve already met a beautiful twenty-something year old woman in the thick thighed Dark Elf.

“….”

“…is something the matter? You’re making a strange face.”

“No, I’m fine.”

While I was lost in my delusions, Edita Sensei suddenly spoke for the first time.

“G-Great Hero of the West, I-I have a question!”

She wore a nervous expression as she stared intently at the Hero of the west. Ever since she first boarded the airship until now it’s seemed like she’s been unable to settle down. Something’s been on her mind concerning this place or the people she was traveling with.

I couldn’t help but think she may have fallen in love with the Hero of the West. If that turns out to be true, my virgin heart will shatter.

“What is your question?”

“W-W-What kind of person is the current Saint?”

That’s a good question to hear. I guess she’s more interested in the Saint than the Hero of the West. Does that mean she’s a lesbian? No, I remember reading about her ex-boyfriend in one of her books.

“Do you have an interest in the Saint?”

“No, i-it’s not so much of an interest….”

The Hero of the West was met with a deflated response from Edita Sensei. The way she so suddenly lost all of her enthusiasm was so cute. However, if she had no interest, why would she even bother asking?

“I’m just…curious is all.”

“I see.”

The Hero gave her a small nod before continuing,

“She is a very personable woman with a kind heart.”

“S-She’s that great?”

“That’s just what I’ve been able to gather from my limited interactions with her.”

“…I-I see.”

Sensei looked apprehensive after hearing his answer.

What about his answer caused this reaction in her? Maybe she just has a general distrust of all religions. As an alchemist and an intellect she may not believe in anything that can’t be verified through repeated experimentation.

“What’s on your mind?”

I figured the best way to get an answer was to ask her directly.

“Ah, i-it’s nothing. Absolutely nothing!”

“Are you sure?”

“Ah, of course! I told you it’s nothing! Nothing for you to worry about!”

“If you say so.”

“G-Good.”

She was acting strange and I couldn’t help but be suspicious of her, but I suppose she’s always like that.

There’s no reason for me to push any further. If she ever finds herself in serious trouble, that may be the time I force her to accept my help. However, until then, I won’t gain anything by forcing her to answer awkward questions just to satisfy my own curiosity.

“Are you ready?”

“Ah, yes.”

I entered the audience chamber at the behest of the Hero of the West.

The design of the audience chamber was different from those I had seen in either Kalis or Tricklis. There was a strong religious feel present throughout the room. The windows were all stained glass and stone statues depicting religious figures I knew nothing about lined the walls. This just made me realize that Dragon City has nothing like this.

Maybe I should ask the loligon if she wants one.

“Thank you for coming here. I’m sure it was difficult for you to find the time to do so.”

“Yes.”

I was currently kneeling with my head lowered toward the floor.

I’m only familiar with the etiquette practiced in the Penny Empire, so I was doing what I hoped was appropriate for this place too.

“Please, raise your head.”

“Yes.”

I think sticking to just a ‘yes’ response is the best course of action for now.

At least I hope it is.

“It’s just as I’ve heard. Yellow skin and a flat face.”

“Yes, this is a common appearance from the country I come from.”

Please, don’t lay into my looks too hard. Ever since I’ve arrived in this world, I’ve been surrounded by ikemen which have just made my own lacking looks ever present in my mind. I think finding at least one other Asian person in this world would have helped me. Even if only a little.

“You’ve traveled far in your journeys and now I wish to welcome you to our great city.”

“Thank you.”

Incidentally, the Saint is an exceptionally beautiful girl.

She wore pure white vestments and a veil covering her face. The best description I can think of is a custom made naughty nun’s outfit worn during Halloween that a lot of money was put into. Even the quality of the fabric looks more expensive than the clothes I’ve seen nobles wearing in the Penny Empire.

The part of her dress that stuck out the most to me was the shortness of the skirt.

Her thighs are fully exposed.

Erotic.

Nice.

To go on even further, the vestments she wore were made from a thin fabric that was designed to show all of her curves. My virgin eyes locked onto her exposed flesh and I was able to confirm with only a brief glance that she had massive boobs.

Her exposed belly was surprisingly firm while her ass was soft and plump.

She looked to be in her late teens. Without a doubt, she’s young. However, the maturity of her body and the gentle tone of her voice gave off a strange motherly vibe. I think this girl would happily spoil me and it created a strong sense of desire for me to rest my head on her lap.

“I’ve been told that you’ve only just arrived in our city.”

“That’s correct. I came straight here after arriving by airship.”

“I’m sorry that everything happened so suddenly.”

“No, there’s nothing for you to apologize for.”

You’re doing great things here, Great Holy Land.

I never expected to be this happy about coming here.

The best part is that it’s just the two of us in the chamber. Back in the Penny Empire, I’d be surrounded by other nobles and the time keeper standing next to the King. This created an uncomfortable environment. Here, it’s just the two of us in a large room of nearly 100 square meters.

Speaking of other people; Edita Sensei, Drill-chan, and the Kimoronge were all left outside in the waiting room just as the Hero of the West had. I was the only person invited into the audience chamber.

Thanks to this, I’m able to almost openly stare at her exposed thighs.

“The urgency comes from my desire to tell you something.”

“Tell me something?”

“Yes, you heard correct.”

The Saint looked straight into my eyes as she spoke.

I thought there was an unwritten rule about only beautiful people being allowed to look into each other’s eyes. If a busamen like me were to make eye contact with a beautiful woman, the sound of a security buzzer would shortly be heard. Yet, the Saint is refusing to break eye contact with me.

What a good woman.

“Is this concerning the prophecy I’ve heard about?”

“The prophecy that led you here and the prophecy that will affect our world and the lives of everyone on it.”

“…what does that mean?”

“Currently, our world faces the threat of the returning Demon Lord. The Demon Lord is an immeasurably powerful foe that will require all of the great powers of our world to work together in order to defeat it. We must unite as one and transcend any and all boundaries that separate us.”

Oh, a sudden mention of the Demon Lord.

I expected as much.

“That’s a story I’m already aware of. The Heroes that I’m familiar with have been selected as this generation’s defenders against the growing threat of the resurrected Demon Lord. I’ve already encountered them when they’ve been battling against the Demon Lord.”

“Yes, that is all accurate. However, the Demon Lord of this generation is far more powerful than the last. With each subsequent resurrection of the Demon Lord the creature has grown stronger. With this knowledge in hand, we as the human race have a responsibility to make adequate preparations for the resurrection of the Demon Lord.”

“I see.”

She’s basically saying that the Heroes of the West and East aren’t strong enough on their own.

There’s something off about this whole Demon Lord story.

There are two stories that have great differences. The first comes from the Great Holy Land as well as the Saint. They claim that the resurrection of the Demon Lord happens roughly every hundred years or so. The other story comes from the Kimoronge, an actual demon. He claims that the true resurrection of the Demon Lord happens once every several hundred years.

Which of them is lying?

I’d bet on the Saint.

It would fit in a book. A powerful force behind a worldwide conspiracy that keeps the populace under their control by way of fear.

“I’m going to be blunt, Baron Tanaka. We need your help. I was told about your efforts to save Academy City. The Great Holy Land needs your power.”

“I’m more than open to listening to what you have in mind. As a member of the Penny Empire, I can’t make any decisions that would impact my country. Would it be okay for me to learn a little more about what you intend?”

“…I suppose that’s fine.”

The Saint fell into silence as she looked deep in thought.

Even her troubled expression has a certain charm to it.

“I’m not sure what rumours you’ve heard about me, but I’m nothing more than a simple baron who serves the Penny Empire. I feel that this story involving a great, eternal battle between the Demon Lord and the chosen Heroes is a bit beyond my means.”

“You have reasonable concerns, Baron Tanaka.”

“Thank you.”

“Even so, it would be foolish of me not to utilize everything at my disposal. This is why I didn’t hesitate in inviting you here. I do not expect you to solve all of our problems, Baron Tanaka. Nor do I wish for you to think that we intend on using you as a means to an end.”

“I understand that.”

As a former wage slave, I feel like I’ve heard all of this before.

“What exactly would you like to know?”

“It’s hard for me to answer when I don’t know the full story.”

“Would you agree to staying here in the Great Holy Land for a period of time? Our city would be delighted to welcome you. If you can spend time in our city, experience our culture with your own eyes and ears, I’m confident that you will be able to see the amazing qualities of our country.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just not sure if….”

“I understand that we interrupted your vacation when we brought you here. If you would be so kind as to accept, we would spare no expense in offering you world-class hospitality like only the Great Holy Land can. I believe even the resort you were staying at would pale in comparison.”

“….”

What should I do?

A choice between a luxurious resort and the unknown quality of the Great Holy Land’s hospitality. The former has the memory of the maid trying to kill me while her panties are fully exposed weighing against it.

There’s nothing to guarantee that won’t happen a second or even a third time if I return.

If it was just me, I’d be able to protect myself, but now that Edita Sensei is here, I have to consider her as well. Especially now that I know how weak her stats are. If there is ever a situation where she was on her own and caught off-guard, even a basic enemy would be able to take her out.

“I understand. I’m sorry for imposing, but I’ll be staying for the time being.”

“I’m pleased to hear this, Baron Tanaka. Please, treat our city as if it were your own.”

“Thank you for accomodating me.”

I don’t doubt that the hospitality of the Great Holy Land will satisfy my needs.

End of Chapter 2

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